Protective armor dates back before the third millennium B.C. As weapons have increased in accuracy and potency, protective armor has been forced to increase comparably. In applications where high energy fragment protection is required as in protection against weapon projectiles or other high-velocity fragment sources, many layers of Kevlar, polyethylene, glass or other ballistic fabric are usually attached to, or placed against, a panel or reinforced skin structure. The design of such panels has not been entirely satisfactory from weight, volume, performance and safety standpoints due to the limited methods used to engineer the panel's performance. For example, in order to have the panels perform against a higher threat level, one would add more layers of material to increase the performance.
Thus, it can be seen that needs exist for improved materials for absorbing energy from impact by or with an object, and for related methods and devices.